Hiya barbara55.  So pleased that  you are doing well and feeling great.  I felt like festooning your post with garlands and playing loud triumphant trumpets but it is a bit difficult to do that with a forum post!  You have overcome!

Good on yer.  Keep on enjoying yourself.

Hi..Just a quick intro as I am new to this chat..I live in Melbourne Australia. I ended up with Esophagus Cancer after a tumour was discovered by PET Scan, following a botched Balloon Dilation, for Swallowing Issues, dating back to 2015 but were ignored...this came about as I have Emphysema Stage 4 (COPD) as well.and had been hospitalised finally in June 2017

Ended up at my local but well known Cancer Treatment Centre (Peter Mac)..I have had 14 treatments of Radiation Therapy & declared Terminal. Currently under Palliative Home Care. After the usual horror battle with this disease, I was given some good news after my last appointment with my Oncologist, that my Tumour had not grown but actually shrank a little..

Well the ''Honeymoon'' period is over & once again I am at war with my disease & currently strugglng. It is 4.30 AM & find I rarely get more than 3 hours sleep a night, if I don't stay awake right through. So I need to start both my initial COPD meds & some Ordine break thru Pain Relief, so hopefully I can catch up with a little rest before the day starts all over again..

Thank you for listening & will check back later...

Helloo ozboy 123.  Sorry you are not sleeping and having a rough time.  Being at the other side of the world at least when you post here you have a reasonable chance of somebody being around to respond!  I have not suffered from cancer myself but have cared for family and friends who have.  The middle of the night when you are awake, worried and in pain is a dreadful time.  So please do get up and post something to us when you are suffering in this way.

Let us hope your tumour does not start to grow again.  I also hope that you have people who care for  you and who will help you through a rough period.  I don't know what support organisations exist in Australia for cancer patients but hope you are able to make the maximum use of whatever is available.

Keep in touch! 

Thank you Annieliz..Yes I have terrific support over here and cannot speak highly enough about the Palliative Home Care Nurses & Staff who try their best to manage my medication & keep me, as pain free as possibe..A wonderful GP who takes care of all my scripts including the ''Dangerous Drugs'' (Schedule 8 over here) & faxes to our local Pharmacy, who home delivers, as needed plus she drops over either before or after she finishes at her clinic.. 

What is destroying me are emotional issues, with 2 out of my 3 kids, too complicated to explain, No immediate family, as I have only one sister, who has done more than her share in the past being there for family that have passed and communication with my wife (Carer) about how I feel & my obsession over the care of my doggie ''Snowy'' which she tends to brush off..

The Chronic Pain & Fatigue, The BPH bowel issues, that keep me awake most nights & coping with the COPD, all take their toll & often leave me deeply depressed but I have learnt to cope somehow...Guess I am here currently to vent a little., as there are no online support groups, I identify with re Esophagus Cancer.except one in the US.  My COPD support is well catered for...Got to give it more time.....

Thank you once again.

Hello again ozboy.  It is very windy day here in London and even more so in the north of the UK.  This particular windy blast is named Georgina (for reasons unknown).  I look at my back garden fence which has blown down again - I had been trying to do something with it following a previous high wind a few days ago but have now given up until the weather improves.

I am sorry that you have additional worries in the form of family; you never stop worrying about them I know (my son lives in NZ but appears to be doing okay overall).  I totally understand your concern for your little dog.  I am not seriously ill but still have concern about what would happen to my little Muffin - that is him in the photo, he was a rescue dog who is a bit nervy - if anything happened to me.  In fact in the UK we have Dogs Trust who will arrange a new home if necessary plus other breed organisations.

I have never been to Melbourne (although one of my suitcases did a detour there once when I went to Sydney for a visit).  Actually that was in my reckless youth and probably the less said about it the better. As opposed to my reckless older years. 

Please do keep venting here.  Actually it seems quite a good idea for people who cannot sleep to post in a forum on the other side of the world when people are around to respond!  Perhaps we should have an exchange forum.  Look after yourself.  Annieliz xx

Still awake at 2.30AM..My Dad is from the UK..In fact on my father's side, as far back as I can trace via births/deaths/marriages certificates i have without doing a search indicate a Naval Career back to early 1800's centred around Portsea, Southport & Plymouth, which is very interesting reading thru Maritime Logs on the net...My ex family is also from Leistershire but now settled a long time in Newcastle..NSW.

I have many COPD friends from the UK, in fact a fair few from different parts of the US & a smaller number from Canada, so it is fascinating comparing the different lifestyles, climate &  health systems.

''Snowy'' is a real character & only just over 3 years old, a part rescue from a family that had one other dog but were expecting twins..so he was not ill treated...He never leaves my side & knows exactly my moods, which is why I worry so much, if I was to suddenly disappear from his life. We also have a few excellent Rescue/placement organisations, which I have alerted my local about my dog, in case Plans A,B & C go stage left...So that has given me some comfort, since I was introduced to them after watching a show on TV.

I shall go have a look around this site while I wait hopefully till the ''sleeper'' (Circadin) kicks in. Take care & your little dog is lovely.What will we do without them...

Peter. xx[[]]

Hi there.  I hope you have been able to get some more sleep after your last post.  I  don't know where the time has gone here; pouring with rain and so windy even the dog didn't want to go out so I took him out in the car and we had a little (and I mean little) walk while we were out.  If I hadn't wanted to buy the newspapers and get the friend I live with some more beer (he is suffering from flu and is in bed) I probably wouldn't have bothered myself.    He also suffers from COPD and is feeling noisily sorry for himself.

Interesting information about your  family.  I was about to make some profound remark about all the places you name being coastal areas then I realised where else would they be with a naval career at that time in the past.

When I asked my son about medical care in NZ he told me that his employers paid into an insurance scheme.  He said - and I have no idea if this is accurate - that so many people take part in outdoor sports - he lives near Queenstown in the south island - that all employers do this to get their employees back to work asap and they get good sick pay too.

Have you read the article posted today by one of the forum's moderators about an Australian oncologist's take on things you need to do if you have a cancer diagnosis.  I found it very interesting.  You have probably already seen it.

Muffin is asleep on his favourite spot on the settee; for a little dog he manages to stretch out in all directions and cover the whole settee.  Lies on his back with legs stretched out in all directions.

Take care of yourself.

Good..Friday Morning here & it is ''Australia Day''...Currently at 2.30 AM it is a mild 23C..Was just passing thru & saw your reply..Thank you.  I will have a coffee & go find that Post..

Basically here is The Link to New Zealand's HCS..It is different to ours, which is pretty close to the NHS in the UK

www.newzealandnow.govt.nz/.../healthcare-services

Ours in Australia, if you go the Public System & are prepared to wait for Non Elective Surgery or Treatment is Excellent.

theconversation.com/australias-health-system-is-enviable-but-theres-room-for-improvement-81332

OK..Enjoy your day & hope Doggie decides on a longer walk..I know mine hates the heat & refuses to go..He rather stay home than go out even if it is in the car...xxxxxx

Hi.  Thanks a lot for the information you provided.  NZ healthcare does sound very like the NHS here (except it is probably better funded than the NHS is at the moment).  I remember when Ed, my son, broke his arm snowboarding .  He rang me (middle of the night here) to tell me his ex-partner - with whom he remains good friends - was taking him to hospital and that his arm hurt a lot.  What on earth could I do - nothing - you want so much to be with him but it really wasn't that serious I suppose.  I can believe that employers in Queenstown take out insurance for extra healthcare because everyone seems to do outdoor activities which not infrequently end up with broken limbs. 

Australia is a bit more complicated - a kind of hybrid as the article says.  Will have to look at it in more depth; cannot take it all in at once!  But it seems to work well for you fortunately.

Today the weather is bit better I am pleased to say; Muffin has been out one and we will be taking another walk shortly.  He had a bad tummy in the middle of the night, poor little lad; he has a bad habit of picking up all kinds of rubbish off the street (how I hate people who throw chicken bones in the road: slobs!  animal haters!).

Take care of yourself.

Happy Australia Day ..just gone on the 26th, amid a lot of Controversy & Violence, between some Leaders of the few Radical Aboriginal Leaders & their band of supporters, each with a different agenda & that was to try & disrupt the Day's Celebration for every one else.

Back to Shop talk... 

Had a rather crazy night previously & most of yesterday from intense Pain......Had the Palcare Nurse here and instead of a visit to ED, they decided to put in a Butterfly Clip, so I can needle my meds.. Yeah..was going to leave it as a early AM comment but basically my pain levels were out of control, until by chance the nurse made a courtesy call..Being the W/end I did not expect them to come visiting...after an hour of discussion, she called her boss & we went on speaker phone..Original plan was to go to ED n get some tests done, in case the chest pain was cardiac by nature but i told them it was not likely, as my heart is pretty strong..No admits to Palliative Special Unit (On W/Ends), So from there, i would be assessed for a bed on Monday ''If Needed''...So we settled on a PIC in arm & I would inject the Morphine & Maxolon (Nausea)..She did the first injection at 1 PM & things have pretty much settled down..

At least for the first time in as long as i can recall, i slept really soundly & only woke up a few hours ago..that is around 5 hours unbroken sleep...& the reason was without going into all the detail, my body was not absorbing my pain medication & now on a temporary butterfly clip, till adjustments can be made in ''Palcare hospital'' next week, only if the current solution fails to work..

Snowy just left for his walk..Bit late as I hoped he would have gone earlier but hard to get organised...He really was not keen to go...

Just got a check up call from the nurse & all is good..She will ring my GP A/hrs number & fill her in..& check back with me later this afternoon....Getting very hot here and already 30C @ 9,30....plus no cool change & they say tomorrow is going to be just as hot... ️

Snowy has not come home yet so he will be totally tired & sleep the rest of the day'

I have kept a daily journal report as to keeping the pic line or try something else...At exactly 12 Noon the Pain had started to break thru the ''Mask'' & I injected only the Morphin Pain Med & flush to see what happens..Right now I feel pretty good..This Evening the Nurse will return & have a chat & we will decide to leave for now or established another form of medicine delivery, that is more permanent...I am sure there are many who do not approve of using ''Big Pharma Meds, & neither do I, but that is the only legal choice I have. Only thing is remain ''Pain Free''

Hope you enjoy your weekend as we swelter under our 2 days of Heat Waves. that see Temperatures betwee 42C - 37C in our State. 

Stay safe Annieliz...BTW did come across a topic where a young guy was having urinary problems but not cancer... know a lot about that condition  wanted to add my 20 cent piece.

Catch up later on xxxxxx